Hi,

The first pattern listed by Pritt is called a "water cricket". The basic pattern is a yellow body and a starling hackle with an optional black rib. I've fished this pattern for awhile, and in some clear spring fed streams it is a high percentage pattern.



Anyway, Pritt's description of the natural is as an "active little spider". In Neme's Soft Hackle Addict book, he doesn't indicate what the natural represents, though he makes suggestions for most of Pritt's other patterns.

Last night I just completed reading Stewart's Practicle Angler, which I found in a used bookstore (a 1905 or so re-release version, not a first edition!) Anyway, in it Stewart describes one of the insects used for bait fishing, namely the "creeper" or "water-cricket". What Steart describes is a stonefly nymph, with a yellow and black body, and lots of legs, a most venomous looking creature (to paraphrase his description). Stewart's description is that this is one of the best baits to use at certain times of the season.

Anyway, it's interesting that this "highly regarded bait" also is, in my opinion at least, a "highly regarded fly" as well.

- Jeff